Danganronpa: City Life of Despair
by Fujisaki-kun
Summary: Sixteen students from Hope's Peak awaken in a city that's completely devoid of life and blocked off from the outside world. Confused and worried, a certain black and white bear introduces them to their new lives of mutual killing. Whose hope shall shine brightest? [SYOC CLOSED]
1. OC Form

_**(A/N:) So! I'd like to start off with a hello and thank you all for checking out my story! I got into Danganronpa around the middle of summer and have played/beat both games as well as watched the anime. I'm also in the process of watching a playthrough of Another Episode. Anyway, the point is that I'm going to be writing my own! So, below I'll give a little introduction to our protagonist, let's get it started! Also since Danganronpa is from Japan, I looked up when school started there.**_

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><p>Kazuma Minami sighed as he stared down at his laptop screen. It was getting quite late, and he knew that he should be sleeping but he was still awake anyway. He was still reeling from the letter he received from Hope's Peak Academy, a very popular school that only accepted the best of the best. The students who were the best in their field. What was Kazuma really good at? Well, Kazuma was a particularly good horror writer. It was one of his favorite things to do in his spare time, ranging from a story of a mass murderer to one of demonic creatures. To him those were rather 'meh' plots and dreadfully overdone. However, sometimes it was what the fans wanted and he wanted to keep them happy. So he wrote about mass murderers and demonic creatures, but he did it in a way that no one else would have thought to do it. That's what made him the best. His amazing ability to craft horror fiction, no matter how overdone the basic plot was.<p>

The screen in front of him bore the front page of the Hope's Peak website, showing stunning photos of the school that appeared to be taken by another student. He couldn't remember her name but Kazuma believed it started with an M. He knew what to expect on his first day now, a rather large and glamorous school building several stories high. Five or six maybe? He wondered where his classes would be and who his classmates were. Well, he'd find out tomorrow. Tomorrow was his first day, after all! Glancing at the time, he realized that it wasn't tomorrow when he'd first start. It was today. Shutting the laptop, he made his way to bed so he wouldn't be too exhausted.

As he lay in bed, he took one last glance at his acceptance letter which he'd been admiring since it arrived. Of course he would, since it was one of the biggest events of his life. He was pretty much guaranteed success now, not that he wasn't already successful.

_Dear Mr. Kazuma Minami,_

_You've been accepted to attend classes this year at Hope's Peak Academy as the Super High School Level Horror Novelist! You will be expected to go through orientation with your classmates on April 6th at 8 a.m. You will get to know them as well as receive schedules and dorms on this date. The rest of the week will help get you transitioned to life here before the next Monday when your classes begin. We hope to see you on the 6th!_

_From the Hope's Peak Administration Staff_

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><p>Now onto the form! (Yes, it's on my profile so you can copy it.)<p>

**Name:**

**Age:**

**Super High School Level:**

**Appearance:**

**Personality:**

**History:**

**Likes:**

**Dislikes:**

**Belongings:**

**Investigation/Trial Role:**

Please submit by PM only, I will not accept your character if you leave it in a review no matter how good the character is. Thanks!


	2. Prologue: Introductions I

Kazuma stared up at the academy, drinking in the sights. Oh, he was definitely going to use a similar setting in his next novel. It was finally time to start his new life at Hope's Peak. Millions of thoughts were racing through his head. What would it be like? Who are my classmates? Are they friendly or just downright hateful? He was going to find out soon enough.

His thoughts were already going back to how he'd gotten himself here in the first place. As a little kid, Kazuma would find himself intrigued by anything scary. Next of course came his love for books, he would read endlessly as a child. Eventually, he put his two favorite things together and obtained his hobby from that. He began to think up scary plots and would write, it'd be rare to see him stop writing unless it was absolutely necessary. Everyone found it neat, until they actually read something he had written and found it surprisingly great. They admired his talent, and he enjoyed having it. He started having them published after that, and eventually they became best-sellers. That landed him a spot at Hope's Peak.

Eager to start, Kazuma turned his attention to the front doors and threw them open. The moment he did, a splitting headache washed over him. The pain was great and he would've cried out if his vocal chords would let him. His vision went black and he drifted off into unconsciousness.

"...ter?...Mi..er?" He could hear a faint voice in the back of his head. It slowly grew louder and louder until it began to wake him up. As he shifted slightly, he felt another presence looming over him which was the last push he needed. The voice came again, very clear this time. "Mister?"

Kazuma opened his eyes to find another set staring back, this person's a bright blue compared to his own eye color, hazel. His first reflex was to jolt back but he didn't. This girl's appearance didn't appear to be very threatening, instead it just seemed a little odd. She was in a maid outfit, complete with the headpiece, black knee-highs and black shoes. Upon her arms were white gloves, coming to a stop at her elbows. Also stopping at her elbows was her long black hair. Around her neck hung a star pendant.

"You're awake! Thank goodness, I was rather worried for a minute!"

"Yeah...where are we?" He glanced around at his surroundings, and it did not seem to be Hope's Peak at all. They were in a city, except it seemed they were the only ones there. It was the most unusual thing he'd seen in a while, and he'd seen some weird stuff.

"I'm afraid I do not know myself, and that is quite troubling. I'm supposed to be at Hope's Peak Academy right now.." The girl responds.

"You're a freshman to Hope's Peak as well?" Kazuma immediately questions.

"Yes, I am. I'm Kimiko Harumashi, Super High School Level Maid!" She introduced herself with a smile. A sudden chime sounded from his pocket, and he pulled out a thin device resembling a smartphone. Pressing the power button, the screen lit up saying 'e-Handbook'. After then displaying his name, he found himself in a menu screen. It had several sections, map, regulations, report card, and...truth bullets? What the hell were those? After attempting to tap on it, he found it was inaccessible at the moment. He sighed and decided to check the report card, as it had an exclamation point next to it.

The section popped up with sixteen portraits. Fourteen were greyed out but two were not. One displayed a portrait of himself. Curious, he tapped it and info regarding himself popped up. His name, age, height, weight, SHSL title, likes and lastly dislikes. He scrolled through to the other profile which was Kimiko's. Kazuma glanced up at the girl in question and realized she had been patiently waiting for him to introduce himself while he'd been inspecting his e-Handbook. Quickly, he stashed it back in his pocket with an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry about that, I'm Kazuma Minami, the Super High School Level Horror Novelist." Her soft chuckle let him know all was forgiven. "Would you happen to know if there are others around?"

Kimiko stood up and looked around, nodding as she did so. She shifted her gaze over in the distance. "I saw a few others down that way at the grocery store...FoodPlus, I think the name is."

Kazuma stood up, and began making his way towards the store. He felt a light tap on his shoulder before he could get far. Kimiko apparently still had something to say. "Sorry for stopping you, Mr. Minami, but I'd like to tag along if you don't mind."

"Ah, you don't have to use formalities. Kazuma is fine." He smiled once more just for emphasis. "Now, let's get going, we have some classmates to meet!"

After a bit of walking, they had reached the FoodPlus. Another disconcerting thing Kazuma noted was the empty parking lot. For such a large city, it was eerily deserted. Kimiko, on the other hand, was not shaken at all. She seemed rather eager to meet her fellow classmates. Her very presence gave off a strong sense of happiness, which eased his mind a little. The sliding doors opened, and the two entered the building.

They had found the food jackpot. Food, drinks, snacks and all sorts of consumables were lining the many aisles. Kazuma refused to let his love of food get to him right now, he was more focused on meeting the students he saw standing around. Off to the side, he saw a short girl. Kazuma himself was 5'6", a good four inches taller than Kimiko and nearly an entire foot taller than this other girl. Another of her features he noticed was her dark brown hair, and that bright pink streak in it. When she glanced over at the two, the lighting revealed her green eyes. Over her small frame, she wore a simple white t-shirt and a dark blue skirt with dark grey tennis shoes. She waved at them and approached with a big smile on her face.

"Hi there! I'm Ami Hitomi! I assume you're both from Hope's Peak as well?" Kazuma definitely noted how loud she was.

"Ah..yes, we are. I'm Kazuma Minami. My talent is Super High School Level Horror Novelist." He smiled down at her, an expression that she returned.

"So you guys are my classmates! I'm the Super High School Level Linguist!" Ami's gaze turned to Kimiko. "What's your name? I can already guess your talent!"

"My name is Kimiko Harumashi, it's very nice to make your acquaintance."

Another chime came from his pocket, to which Kazuma decided to ignore the conversation for a moment to read through Ami's profile. Suddenly, a finger was jabbed to his chest as Ami began voicing her frustration at him.

"Hey! We just met, so I expect you to pay attention to our conversation! How else am I supposed to get to know you?" Ami bore a large frown on her face. "What, do you not find me cute enough? The nerve of you!"

Kazuma blanched a pale white at the sudden hostility and accusation. He stumbled over his words as he went to respond. "U-um, I'm sorry. I never said you weren't cute and all I was doing was reading through your profile so I could see the info it gave me.."

This seemed to calm her down and she instantly snapped back into her happy mood, leaving him with a feeling of whiplash from the sudden changes as Kimiko just stared in wide-eyed shock. Neither of them had been expecting her to blow up out of the blue. They'd have to be careful with her short fuse in the future. It took quite a bit of time but they eventually managed to get her to go off in search of others.

Down an aisle, they ran into a boy. He was a little taller than Kazuma with blue eyes and long, light blonde hair reaching all the way down his back. He wore a light blue-button, a pair of khakis and white shoes. He seemed to give off a rather shy and timid vibe, further proved by his jumping in fear upon hearing them approach.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm just easily frightened..."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, we were just looking to meet our fellow classmates."

"O-oh, I'm Tenri Nonaka and I'm the Super High School Level Harpist. Who are you two?" Kazuma made it a point to ignore the chime this time around, he'd learned his lesson.

"I'm Kazuma Minami, Super High School Level Horror Novelist." He winced a little as Tenri's eyes widened upon learning his talent. This was definitely not the kind of person who'd be able to enjoy the stories he wrote. Kimiko decided to cut the awkwardness by introducing herself.

"I am Kimiko Harumashi, and I got in as the Super High School Level Maid! Happy to meet you, mister!" She greeted cheerfully.

He stares at items next to Kimiko, avoiding meeting her gaze. She notices and frowns a little, to which Tenri tenses up and begins to profusely apologize again. "A-ah! I'm so sorry! I hope I haven't m-made you upset! I'm horrible, I c-can't even greet a friend right..."

"Eh? No! No, don't be sorry, you haven't upset me! Please don't worry, you're a very nice person!" Kimiko consoled him as Kazuma just watched in amazement. It seemed that everyone he'd met so far was odd in their own particular way. Well, if they were all students of hope, he guessed he couldn't really complain. After a few more minutes of consoling Tenri, the duo headed outside to find more classmates to meet.

Just outside, plenty of different vendors had been set up selling a variety of products. No one was managing a single one though, so it appeared that they wouldn't be making a very good business. Kimiko pointed out two more students checking out the setups. She led him towards the closer person first, who was checking out a station devoted to MP3 players.

The person was male, with short and scraggly hair that was a fine silver color. It was messy as hell, and he sure hoped that there wasn't a Super High School Level Hairstylist among them or they'd have a heart attack. His eyes were cerulean-colored, Kazuma having to look upwards to even see that. This guy had quite the height to him. Over his black tank-top was a baggy jacket, grey-blue in color. His brown pants were rather dusty and his ebony boots were visibly old. A shiny guitar was strapped to his back, a rather beautiful brown in color.

Kimiko had a fiery look in her eyes as her eyes fell upon his pants. Kazuma could feel the maid's pure desire to clean rolling off of her in large waves, and the guy apparently noticed as well as he was prepared to run for it. With some difficulty, he was able to hold her back with the promise of being able to do so later. This boy seemed to be a little wary of her now, keeping a good three feet of distance at all times.

"I'm sorry about that, she's the SHSL Maid and your pants are dirty. You oughta be fine as long as she can clean them soon. I'm Kazuma Minami, SHSL Horror Novelist."

"I'm..." The boy stared awkwardly for a moment, then creased his eyebrows. "Actually, I can't remember..."

Kazuma gave him a stunned look. "You can't remember who you are?"

"N-no. All I can recall is my age... I must need sleep or something. Until I remember who I am and what my talent is, I guess you can call me 17." Despite his apparent amnesia, 17 still smiled at his new friends, though he glanced once more at the girl giving his pants an intense stare. "I don't believe I caught your name."

"Hm? Oh! I'm Kimiko Harumashi. Kazuma already told you my talent."

"Well, it's been a pleasure to meet you both. I'm going to go look for a place to sleep, hopefully a nap will jog my memory."

With another chime, he checked his e-Handbook. Surely it'd list his information, right? However, this turned out not to be the case. Most all of the spaces simply had three question marks. The only things filled in were the name and age, and both said 17. He sighed, now knowing that no one would really know much about him until he remembered himself.

Kimiko had a look that said she wished to give chase to tidy up his clothes, but Kazuma reminded her that there were others to meet. The two approached the other person remaining in the vendor stalls. She appeared to be about the same height as him, and was caught up in the handheld camera section. Her rose blonde hair was down to her elbows, fitting nicely with her pale skin and pale green eyes. She wore a black cardigan over a white buttoned shirt, a black circle skirt that reached down to her knees, as well as black converse with white knee high socks. Kazuma's eyes widened when he realized he'd seen her before. This was the most popular, most subscribed person on YouTube. He recognized her from playthroughs of horror games she'd done.

Kazuma approached her giddily, a bright smile on his face. "You're Rei Kaya! I can't believe you're one of my classmates!"

Rei looked up from the cameras, and was immediately smiling as well. She seemed to be happy to meet one of her fans. "Yup, that's me! Gamer Rei, #1 on YouTube! Who knew that Super High School Level YouTuber was a talent? Anyway, who're you two? I adore meeting fans, especially if they're my classmates!"

"I'm Kazuma Minami, and my talent is writing horror novels. Actually, that's kind of the reason I found you, the horror genre." Kazuma was full on fanboy right now, and it was Kimiko's turn to hold him back. He didn't even hear his handbook chime.

"Well, it's good to meet a fan, Kazuma! I'm sure we'll be great friends!" Her gaze shifted to Kimiko. "I see that you're the Super High School Level Maid, what's your name?"

"Kimiko Harumashi, pleased to make your acquaintance, miss."

After chatting for a bit, they decided to part ways to introduce themselves to other classmates. Kazuma felt that he'd met quite the interesting bunch already and he'd only met five of fifteen. He hadn't a clue what sort of students the other locations would have, but with a deep breath, he was ready to meet them.

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><p><em><strong>(AN:) Hope you guys enjoyed the first introductions, and congrats to the users whose OCs I've officially accepted as shown above! As I sort out which OCs I'm taking, I'll write the rest of the prologue then. Apologizing in advance if your OC doesn't get in, I've got so many good ones to pick from! If I decide to write another Danganronpa fic after this, I'll be sure to include them then! With that said, submissions are CLOSED. (Unless you're one of the few who have PMed me about their unfinished ones! I eagerly await seeing those!)**_


	3. Prologue: Introductions II

There seemed to be endless vendor stalls. Kazuma and Kimiko had walked south, but what they found was more vendor stalls. He'd about reached his limit with these little shops, at least show him a new location! Well, he eventually got his wish in the form of Serenity Park. It seemed to be a calm and peaceful area, with lush green trees, their branches gently swaying in the wind. There were benches here and there for people to rest and relax on, which got him thinking about 17. He hoped that he'd been able to find a resting spot. Off in the distance, he could see a few people.

They started towards a girl with short raven hair, but her bangs were long and ended in a curl. She appeared to be a bit taller than Kazuma with violet colored eyes and a really unsettling smile. Atop that raven hair was a red bow, picturing a skull in the middle. She also had a black jacket adorned with red buttons, a short and ruffled red skirt, and long black stockings featuring a skull pattern as well as white-heeled boots. He wasn't too hopeful for normality with this one, but he did have to commend her for looking like a character from one of his novels.

They approached her quickly and began the introductions. "Excuse me? I'm Kazuma Minami, the SHSL Horror Novelist. Who might you be?"

"Emiko Ichigawa, and I'm a medium." After she finished talking, his e-Handbook chimed once more.

"Ah, I see why you appear to be a character from one of my novels now." It took him a moment to realize he'd said that out loud. "N-Not that I mean you look weird! I just-oh my god, I'm just digging a deeper hole, I'm going to stop talking now."

Kimiko's features bore an amused grin, and much the same could be said for Emiko, though her smile was still rather creepy. Her gaze shifted away from Kazuma and was now directed at the maid. "What is your name? The spirits have told me your talent, would I be correct in assuming maid?"

"Yes, miss.. I'm Kimiko Harumashi." The stunned look on her face made it obvious that she was feeling skeptical towards Emiko's abilities, for it was blatantly obvious what her talent was. "Pleased to meet you."

"No, no, no! The pleasure's all mine, I do enjoy meeting new friends." Kazuma didn't think he could take looking at that smile any longer and said his goodbye, pulling Kimiko off further into the park to greet the other two he'd seen.

The first was a thin, pale boy with light hair down to his eyes. Whereas everyone else they'd met had a notable outfit that made them stand out, this one just wore plain everyday clothes. Nothing was really special about his appearance except for his hair covering his eyes and the white cane he carried with him. Kazuma had a feeling he knew what it was for. All of a sudden, the boy turned towards them.

"Is someone there?"

"Indeed. We're some classmates of yours, I'm Kazuma Minami, the Super High School Level Horror Novelist."

"And I'm Kimiko Harumashi, Super High School Level Maid. What's your name?"

"Mamoru Arakawa, Super High School Level Mathematician. I must say it is quite nice to be greeted instead of questioned about my being blind."

"I would never, Mr. Arakawa! I respect the privacy of others." She responded.

"For that I must commend you, some of our classmates are not as respectful. However, I will not persecute them for it, we must get along if we wish to be classmates."

Kazuma watched as Mamoru and Kimiko continued to converse, barely listening to the conversation being held. Eventually, he turned his attention back to them in time to hear Mamoru's request. "If either of you wouldn't mind, could you direct me towards the apartment complex? I heard someone mention there were rooms for us there and I'd like to visit my own. Normally, I'd go myself but this place is rather large."

"I'd be delighted to do so, Mr. Arakawa!" Of course, Kimiko would jump at the chance. Her instincts as a maid were kicking in. "If you'll excuse me, Mr. Minami."

"Ah, really, you don't have to be formal with me. I'll catch up with you both later, I've still got a few places I want to check out." Kazuma responded. With a polite goodbye, Mamoru was escorted off by Kimiko. Walking down another pathway he'd seen another student go down, he eventually found the other. It was a girl roughly the same height as him. He glanced backwards the way he came just how far the others had gotten. Turning back, he jumped when the girl was suddenly standing in front of him. She had reddish-brown hair, just long enough to be worn in a ponytail. On her head was a baseball cap black in color. Her eyes were the color of wet ash, and there was a beauty mark under the right eye. She wore a dark green tank top under a black shirt that showed her midriff, with sleeves that ended just a few inches before her wrists. She had a denim skirt on, as well as black Capri tights and white ankle socks that had blue and green stripes on the sides. Her shoes were green high tops.

"Hi there. I'm Sumiko Akiyama, Super High School Level Thief." Kazuma's e-Handbook chimed once more, but he heard the chime come from her instead of his pocket. She grinned as she handed it back. "An' who're you?"

"Kazuma Minami, Super High School Level Horror Novelist."

"Well, Kazuma, ya might oughta pay more attention if I can get the drop on ya." He noted that her voice had that hint of the streets to it, which made a lot of sense when compared with her talent.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." She headed off past him, and he reached for his handbook to check how many students he had left to meet. He turned back to yell at her. "Hey! Give me my e-Handbook!"

With a laugh, it was tossed to him. He was definitely going to remember to pay more attention considering he'd just been robbed twice in the span of two minutes. Under the map section, he found he had two more places to check out. He'd already been to the gazebo in the center of this place, that was where he'd woken up. He'd been to the FoodPlus, the vendor stalls on the north and south side, and now he could cross off Serenity Park. There were only two other locations, the Divine Diner and the Yokai Apartment Complex.

Yokai? The park and diner have such peaceful names, but yokai were not peaceful at all. He knew that they were supernatural creatures in Japanese folklore due to his talent for writing horror novels. He'd written a few successful novels centered around the beings. That was the deciding factor, he'd definitely go to the diner first before meeting back up with Mamoru and Kimiko. Using the map, he navigated his way over to the diner in which two students had cooked themselves a lunch in the absence of the staff. The one closest to the door had already started theirs, while the other was still cooking.

Kazuma decided to introduce himself to the eating boy. He had a young appearance, with short dark brown hair with bangs stopping just above his eyes. On his face were rectangular glasses that seemed somewhat big but not oversized. His eyes were a pale green in color. He wore an oversized black hoodie that had a zodiac symbol on it, grey shorts that stopped an inch or so above his knees, and white/sky blue/cyan sneakers that seemed to be the only perfect fit for him. He approached, leaning against the bench across from the boy.

"Hey, I'm a classmate of yours. Kazuma Minami, Super High School Level Horror Novelist. Who are you?"

The boy looked up, and looked like he was too shy to respond. He eventually managed to get out a response, but with a stutter. "K-Kaede Nob-boru. I-I'm the Super H-High School Level A-Astronomer.."

A chime came from the e-Handbook and Kaede appeared to be grateful when Kazuma directed his attention towards it. His profile seemed to be normal, but one thing in particular stood out to him. His age. Kaede Noboru was 14 years old. He was taken aback at first, and would've questioned him but decided against it considering how shy the boy was. Kazuma figured it'd be better to just let him eat in peace and go meet the other boy.

The one cooking appeared to have a regal face, one that a lot of girls would admire. His cheekbones were high, eyebrows thick and elegant and his lips full and red. His jawline was narrow and his eyes had a teardrop shape to them, a haunting blue in color with gold rimming the irises. His build was thin but also athletic at the same time, his thin but toned legs being an example. His short brown hair was wavy and parted to the left. His skin was a tan Caucasian and he was nearly half a foot taller than Kazuma.

"Hey there, I'm Kazuma Minami, Super High School Level Horror Novelist."

"I'm Israfel Harker, and I'm known as the Super High School Level Angel." He responded, not even looking up from the food he was preparing.

Kazuma blinked. "Angel?"

Israfel chuckled. "It's not what you're thinking. I got my talent from being compassionate and helping others when they need me."

Kazuma nodded in understanding, before realizing that there was more than one dish prepared and Israfel was still cooking. He was more than a little curious as to what he was doing now.

"What exactly are you doing?"

"Well, since it's lunch time, I decided to prepare everyone something."

This guy definitely was thoughtful, Kazuma could see why he'd earned the title of Angel. He probably prepared what Kaede was eating at the moment. He could definitely see him as becoming a friend, and would have to remember to hang out with him again later. But for now, Kazuma still had five more students to meet and the map on his e-Handbook told him they were at the apartment complex along with 17, Kimiko and Mamoru. Seeing no other choice, he exited the diner and began making his way to the last unexplored location, The Yokai Apartment Complex.

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><p><em><strong>(AN:) Forgive me for updating so quickly, I have a lot of free time right now so why not write? Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this second part of the introductions and after I finish sorting out who the rest of the characters I'm accepting are, Introductions III will be here and then Monokuma will make his appearance! Get excited 'cause I know I am! When Chapter One begins, I'll put up a vote for who you want the free time events to go to!**_


	4. Prologue: Introductions III

What he'd seen of the city wasn't that bad so far. It was open, looked like your average city. The weather was warm and it was sunny. The streets weren't dirty, the buildings mostly looked new. One of the two things about this place that unsettled Kazuma was that there were only sixteen people present, including himself. He also discovered something else on his way to check out the Yokai Apartment Complex. The city was closed off. There was a high wall enclosing the place, standing maybe a few miles above the ground. He hadn't really noticed it at first because he'd been busy meeting everyone else, but he was more than a little afraid right now.

He'd nearly reached the apartment building when he added a third item to the list. A second section of the city was blocked off with a gate. Why wasn't it open? How do you even open it? How the hell did they even end up in a walled-off city anyway? None of this was making sense to him. He pushed the thoughts to the back of his head for now, deciding that he should get the whole group together after meeting everyone and they could assess their situation.

Staring up at the building looming over him, Kazuma was at least relieved that they wouldn't be living in a dump. The Yokai Apartment Complex, despite it's ominous name, actually looked quite elegant. It stood four stories high and had a design to it that looked like it was a place for wealthy people to live in. He grabbed pulled open the front door and walked into the magnificent looking lobby. There was a polished wood receptionist desk to his left, large orange colored lights decorating the walls and bathing the lobby with a warm brightness. Similar looking polished wood tables were spread out along the walls, each holding a flowerpot containing a different exotic-looking flower. He looked up to see that he could see the upper floors as well as noticing a girl hanging from a railing just a little too late. She let go as the people cheering her on noticed him and began a protest.

"Wait, Misaki-!"

She dropped down fast towards Kazuma who had no time to react as the people on the upper floor shouted pointless warnings, and suddenly he found himself on the floor being weighed down by the crazy girl. With a groan, she disentangled herself from him and stood up. He was able to actually look at her now. She had brown hair that was cut short but still covered her left eye, the eye he could see was brown like her hair. Her top was red and she wore a leather jacket, both stopping at her belly button. Holding up her black jeans that were ripped at the bottom was a belt with a skull clasp. She also wore black boots.

"Alright, that's not exactly what I intended to happen there. Sorry about that. I'm Misaki Rin, daredevil extraordinaire! What's your name?"

"Kazuma Minami, my title is horror novelist." He said while rubbing his head, staring up at her. "What the hell just happened?"

"One of my daring stunts! Dropping from a second floor railing down to the ground floor! I would've done something better but so far, I'm not seeing any good opportunities for better stunts." She pouted a bit at that last part.

"Ah, I'm sure there'll be opportunities. Don't sweat it."

Misaki held out her hand and pulled him to his feet, a grin on her face. "Y'know, you're alright. I've got to show those others that I can do some crazy stuff, so don't hang around the lobby for the next thirty minutes or so."

"Right, I'll be sure to do that. Hey, if possible, could you let others know that I intend for us all to meet up at the diner in about two hours?"

"Heh, you got it!" And with that, she bounded over to the elevators to head back up to the railings. Kazuma felt like she'd probably injure herself if she kept this up, but sighed and headed towards the elevators as well. As he approached it, he took notice that there were three elevators. Two of them were normal elevators but the other was olden-looking with a gate door. It was off to the side, unlike the other elevators. He attempted to press the button but it didn't open. He also noted that it went down to a lower floor and didn't go up to the above floors. Brushing it off as a service elevator, he returned to the other two and ascended to the next floor.

The map on his e-Handbook stated that two people were on this floor. Stepping off the elevator, he wandered a bit in search of them. He came upon a coffee shop, which definitely proved to him that this wasn't the common apartment complex. Inside the coffee shop was a girl who was short and skinny. Her skin was tanned and she had brown hair pulled into a ponytail, held in place by a sunflower shaped hair tie. She wore a long-sleeved white shirt under a green jacket and had on a white and yellow striped tie. Her short skirt was dark green in color, and she had on white knee-high socks with black shoes. Her right hand was focused on her tie, fixing it and making sure it looked presentable. Figuring he could use some energy for that slowly sinking feeling he was getting about all this, Kazuma entered the coffee shop to get a drink as well as talk to her.

Looking up from her own coffee, she saw him enter and closed the notebook he hadn't even noticed she had. Drinking the small cup he'd prepared, he sat down at the table next to her and introduced herself. "Hi there. I'm Kazuma Minami, Super High School Level Horror Novelist."

"Midoriko Haseyama, Super High School Level Gossiper. Tell me you've seen what Misaki's been doing!"

"Afraid I have. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got a face full of her boots."

"Oh dear." Midoriko opened her notebook back up, writing down a few things. It appeared that the notebook she had was nearly half full from whatever it was she was making notes of. He couldn't even focus on what she was writing with the speed at which her pen flew across the paper. Upon finishing, she returned her pen to her pocket and closed the notebook.

After being filled with pointless information about everyone else that she'd picked up for twenty minutes, Midoriko finally seemed like she'd let him go. Finishing his cup, Kazuma tossed it in the trash and then went to leave. As he went out the door, he paused. She was good at spreading stuff.

"If you don't mind, could you inform everyone else that I'd like us all to meet up in about an hour and a half?"

"Ooh, a big group get-together? Leave it to me!"

With a word of thanks, Kazuma exited the coffee shop and headed down the hallway. After wandering a bit, he finally found the other person who'd been on the second floor. There was a balcony with a direct view of the city. On it stood a boy. He had slicked back hair, short and spiky and black in color. His eyes were the color of amber and he had on a yellow t-shirt, a black and white strip running down the left side of it. His blue jacket depicted a shield as well as a rifle and gun crossing. His jeans were half black and half white and he had a small black goatee.

He looked to be deep in thought as he stared down at the city. Kazuma approached and tapped his shoulder, to which the boy turned around and greeted him warmly.

"Hello! I'm Vector Litgen, Strategic Tactician. I'd like it if you just called me Vechs though."

"Kazuma Minami, and I write horror novels. What...exactly is a strategic tactician?"

"It's just a fancy term for me being the person coming up with all of the strategies when I was in the military."

"Wow, that sounds actually sounds pretty cool."

"I don't know about that, ha. I just liked being useful to my team."

Kazuma talked to him for a little longer, the two of them standing out on the balcony and looking down. Occasionally they'd spot a fellow classmate outside, wandering around in exploration. After a bit, he invited Vechs to the diner meeting.

"Yeah, I'll be there. I've been quite curious as to what's going on as well."

"Great, I'll see you then."

Kazuma turned and left, officially being able to dub the first floor the Recreation Area as it was just a coffee shop and a few rec rooms. He assumed the apartments would be on Floor 2. Making his way back to the elevator, he boarded it and found the second floor had six people upon it when inspecting the map on his e-Handbook. He saw name tags for Kimiko, Mamoru, 17 and Misaki but the other two would be the remaining students he hadn't met yet.

Getting off the elevator, he found he was correct in assuming that this was the apartment floor. Walking down the hallway, he found there were nameplates on each door and continued on until he found a name he didn't recognize. The first room he found had a nameplate reading AVANNA BUNKO. He knocked gently on the door.

After a few moments, the door was opened and Kazuma was face to face with her. Avanna had brown hair reaching just past her shoulders and startlingly grey eyes. She had an orange top and wore a green knitted jacket as well as black jeans and brown combat boots. On her wrist was a black watch. She looked at him questioningly. "What do you need?"

"I was just trying to meet all of my classmates as well as inform them of a meeting I wanted to hold in about an hour. I'm Kazuma Minami, Super High School Level Horror Novelist."

"Well, I'd assume you already know my name from my door but my title is Bassist. What's this meeting supposed to be for?"

"It'd be at the diner, and I wanted to discuss some things I've been noticing about the situation we're all in."

"You mean like why we're in a city when the last thing we all remember is being at Hope's Peak? Why there's a giant wall keeping us from leaving here? Why the rest of the city is gated off? I'd like to know those things as well. You can definitely count on me to show up at the diner."

"Great! Well, I've got one last person I haven't met yet, so I'm going to run off and do that now. I'll see you in an hour!"

Avanna silently closed her door and Kazuma took his leave, reading through all of the nameplates. Finally he found the last student he hadn't met yet, the nameplate reading RIKIYA ORIHARA. After knocking on the door, he was greeted by a boy who was a few inches taller than him. Rikiya had short but wild black hair, a streak of dark blue running through it. His frame was slender and his eyes were a light green-yellow color. He wore a navy blue sweatshirt and old jeans that had a few holes in them and were streaked with dried paint.

"Hi there!"

"Hey. I'm Kazuma Minami, Super High School Level Horror Novelist. I wanted to meet all of my classmates and invite them to a meeting at the diner in an hour. I wanted us all to talk about a few of the mysteries surrounding this city."

"Ah, I'm quite curious as well! I'll tag along with you then. And before I forget, since you gave me your talent, I'll give you mine." He smiled at him, and then proceeded to tell him in a perfect imitation of Kazuma's voice. "I'm the Super High School Level Mimic."

Kazuma stared in surprise, not having expected Rikiya to imitate his voice. The other boy laughed a bit from the reaction, then said a few parting words in his regular voice before retreating back into his apartment. Kazuma decided then to go meet back up with the others and inform them of his plans.

Using the map on his e-Handbook, it wasn't hard at all to locate Kimiko, Mamoru and 17. Kazuma felt it better to let 17 rest for now in hopes his memory would return and they could finally really know him. Knocking on the door to Mamoru's room, Kimiko opened it and greeted him.

"I'm officially done meeting everyone now, and I noticed a few things while I was out."

"Hm? What is it you've noticed?" Mamoru questioned, definitely curious to the surroundings he was unable to see for himself.

"Well, for one, there's giant wall enclosing the city. There's a gate that's blocking us off from the rest of the city limits. Then I got to thinking more, with some help from Avanna. The last thing I remember is being at Hope's Peak, so what happened? How'd we get here in the first place?"

Kimiko looked troubled from all these new thoughts, as did Mamoru. He spoke up after a moment.

"Yes, these are all quite alarming things. What do you propose we do about it?"

"I've already planned a meeting at the diner for all sixteen of us to assess and discuss our situation." Kazuma glanced up at the clock. "With the time I spent finishing up my introductions, there's about 45 minutes until everyone starts gathering."

"This is quite the predicament, but I believe all will be well! I have hope that nothing bad is going to happen!" Kimiko said with a smile, attempting to brighten the mood. That was when it started. A monitor Kazuma hadn't even noticed was on the wall suddenly crackled to life. The static was thick and he could barely see the outline of a figure on it. A voice came through. The voice was sort of child-like but the tone was full of darkness.

"Testing, testing! Hello? Can you all hear me? This is an announcement! I'd like for you all to gather at the gazebo in the center right now! Get a move on, this is important!"

An uneasy feeling of dread filled Kazuma as the announcement finished and the monitor clicked off. Who was that? After a few moments, the three were out in the hallway and he could see 17, Misaki, Avanna and Rikiya were out and just as confused.

"Who was that on the monitor?" Avanna asked, a question no one had an answer to.

"I don't know, but we better get down there. I have a bad feeling about this." Misaki responded, leading them towards the elevator. After descending and exiting the apartment complex with everyone else, they all headed towards the gazebo.

Little did they know that a life of despair was just about to begin.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(AN:) And there we go! The introductions of all sixteen students has happened, and now things are about to get crazy! I'm sorry to everyone who did not get in, but I had quite the amount of entries to pick from! And now here's the list of all of our characters below!**_

_Kazuma Minami, SHSL Horror Novelist  
>Kimiko Harumashi, SHSL Maid<br>Ami Hitomi, SHSL Linguist  
>Tenri Nonaka, SHSL Harpist<br>17 - Talent Unknown  
>Rei Kaya - SHSL YouTuber<br>Emiko Ichigawa - SHSL Medium  
>Mamoru Arakawa - SHSL Mathematician<br>Sumiko Akiyama - SHSL Thief  
>Kaede Noboru - SHSL Astronomer<br>Israfel Harker - SHSL Angel  
>Misaki Rin - SHSL Daredevil<br>Midoriko Haseyama - SHSL Gossiper  
>Vector Litgen - SHSL Strategic Tactician<br>Avanna Bunko - SHSL Bassist  
>Rikiya Orihara - SHSL Mimic<em>


	5. Prologue: Welcome to Despair City

All sixteen students had gathered at the gazebo, and all were wondering the same thing. Who was that on the monitor telling them to come here? The gazebo was abuzz with rapid-fire talking and questioning, everyone talking over each other. Suddenly, a new voice was added to the mix.

"Attention! Attention!" It seemed only Kazuma had noticed. "Shut the hell up!"

Everyone was now focused on the new voice, which was emanating from in the gazebo. Inside stood a black and white bear with one eye glowing red. It appeared to be just a plushie, except it was walking and talking.

"Now then, we can begin! My name is Monokuma, and welcome to my city!"

It was deathly quiet, no one was speaking a word. They all just stared with dumbfounded looks at the bear in front of them.

"What? Bear got your tongues?"

Someone finally voiced what everyone was thinking.

"Now just what the hell is happenin' here?" A mix of shock and confusion was evident in Sumiko's tone.

"You're all official citizens of my city now! But I'm not just your average mayor, no, I'm your teacher as well! I've decided to go ahead and graduate you all so you can start your adult lives!"

"The spirits are telling me that this is no bluff!" Emiko's voice rang out.

"What are your intentions?" Vector demanded.

"Upupupu... my intentions?" Monokuma laughed quietly to himself. "Now we're getting to the fun part! You all have noticed the wall around the city, correct?"

Nods and loose acknowledgments of agreement came from the terribly confused group of students.

"I assume you all wish to leave?"

More agreements.

"Well, there's only one surefire way to leave this city! Simply put, you must murder someone!"

The silence was deafening. Looks of pure horror were on everyone's faces. No one could believe what the bear had just told them. No one _wanted _to believe what the bear had just told them. They had to murder to leave the city? The whole idea was absolutely ridiculous!

"The fuck...?" Sumiko had gone pale, backing away from the gazebo.

"No...that can't be true!" Tenri was an absolute wreck, and a few others were trying to calm him down.

"Upupupu! But it is! If you really want to get out of this city, just kill a fellow classmate. Doesn't matter how you do it! Stab, slice, sever, impale, burn, drop, electrocute, vivisect, drown, etc.! As long as you get the job done, you can go free!"

No one was willing to speak anymore. A thick cloud of despair hung over them, and the stage was clearly Monokuma's. They just let him speak at this point, to which they could see the bear's delight from the tense situation he'd created.

"Now then, if you'd all be sure to read through the rules on your e-Handbooks. That concludes our meeting, let's start your new city life of mutual killing! Welcome to Despair City!"

With those last words, Monokuma was gone, leaving everyone to their thoughts. Kazuma could only curse as his bad feeling was confirmed. However, it was much worse than he'd expected it to be. Have everyone introduce themselves to each other and become friends only to tell them that they had to kill each other to leave? He hoped no one would give in and do it, that they wouldn't actually start to kill each other. Just the thought of it was nonsensical!

He looked around at the others, noting that Tenri and Kaede had departed, presumably to retreat to their apartments. Kimiko was doing her best to get everyone to look on the bright side, that they'd never kill each other. That they'd all be able to work together to escape. Kazuma wished he could believe that, but with how much everyone was all freaking out, he figured it was only a matter of time before someone was dead.

No... he couldn't afford to think like that. He should have more hope and faith in his new friends. Kazuma joined Kimiko in consoling everyone and before long the crowd was feeling a little better. Worry was still within them all, but the thick fog of despair had been lifted some. Kazuma decided it was time to check the rules that Monokuma had set for them.

1:) Students are not allowed to leave the city.

2:) Nighttime is in effect from 10 PM to 7 AM.

3:) You are free to explore the city at your discretion.

4:) Violence against Mayor Monokuma is disallowed and offenders will be severely punished.

5:) A culprit who kills another student will be allowed to leave, but only if they're not caught.

6:) Additional rules may be added if necessary.

Kazuma stared at these rules, knowing Rule #4 would be a hard one to follow. He felt immense hatred towards that damn bear that put them in this situation. What made him more keen to follow it was that part about being severely punished. He definitely didn't want to figure out what kind of punishments Monokuma would use on them and he hoped no one would have to find out.

Misaki approached him. "Should we still have that meeting since everyone is all together right now?"

Kazuma sighed, looking over at her. "Yeah, we should probably go ahead with it."

He ascended the staircase to the gazebo and sat upon the highest one, staring down at all the other students around him. He breathed in and began speaking to everyone.

"Well, this is rather convenient that he'd get us all together for the meeting anyway. Anyway, we should go over what's happening."

"I think it's pretty clear what's happening," responded Ami, "we're being forced to kill each other if we want to leave. Like that one book. Something Royale?"

"...anyway, it's pretty obvious that that stuffed animal has a lot of control if he can bring us here and have that giant wall around the city. Not to mention that we're the only people here." Kazuma said.

"We already know all of these things, can't we just call it a night? We can go over it some more tomorrow if you want." Ami immediately responded.

The others would've worn amused expressions had the situation been different, but it was clear that almost everyone was agreeing with her. With a sigh, he allowed the group to disband for the night with a promise that they'd all meet up in the diner the next morning.

He trudged back to his apartment with everyone else, not even taking the time to admire his own space. He simple collapsed onto his bed, burying his face into the pillows. Kazuma's mind wandered. Why was this happening to them? Just what was Monokuma? This was all just so unreal, and Kazuma felt like it was like Ami said. A plot right out of a book or something. With a knot in his stomach, he drifted off into a restless sleep.

**PROLOGUE END  
><strong>**SURVIVING STUDENTS: 16**

* * *

><p><em><strong>(AN:) Alright, this is probably the last of my incredibly quick updates. I've got to take some time to plan out the story for Chapter One, specifically who will die and how it will play out. I've got a few mysteries planned already, I just don't know who to kill because I love all of the characters ;3; In other news, be sure to check my profile because I'm about to put up a poll so you can all vote for who you want the free time events in C1 to go to. Happy voting, everyone!**_


	6. Chapter One: Streets of Despair I

Maybe it was just the grim feeling surrounding them all but no one was too eager to leave their apartments the next morning. It felt like the weather was also feeling down, as conveyed by the grey skies above. Perhaps it would rain, but Kazuma couldn't care less what the weather was like. He just wanted this entire thing to be some crazy dream, but if that's what this was, it was a dream he couldn't wake from.

His memories of the previous day flooded back. He'd woken up in a gazebo along with the SHSL Maid, Kimiko Harumashi. He'd gone around this strange new city and met his fellow classmates until the haze covering his mind lifted and he realized that nothing was right about this. He'd attempted to organize a meeting so they could all talk about just what the hell was happening to them. That's where the situation got even worse. A black and white bear that goes by Monokuma showed up. He told them why they were here. They could either live out their whole lives in this city, or get out by killing someone.

The diner! Shit, he almost forgot! What time was it? The monitor on the wall crackled to life just as he went to check the time. It flickered momentarily and then he saw Monokuma appear on the screen. He appeared to be in a sitting room of an apartment, however this one was infinitely more grand than the ones they had.

"Good morning, you lot! Get yourselves up out of bed and enjoy the big city!"

The monitor darkened once more. If he remembered correctly from the rules, nighttime ended at 7 AM. Kazuma decided it was reasonable to say it was 7. Getting up from the bed, he slipped his shoes on and exited the room only to run into 17. He stumbled backwards in surprise.

"Ah! I'm terribly sorry about that, Kazuma!"

"N-No, it's alright. Are you headed to the diner as well?"

"Actually, no. I think I'm going to sit this one out, because I've started remembering! My name and talent came back overnight!"

"Eh?!"

"Yeah! My name's Katashi Yuudai, and my talent is the SHSL Musician!"

Kazuma peered around him at his apartment, and the nameplate that had said 17 just last night was indeed replaced with one that said Katashi Yuudai. He was happy that his friend had remembered vital information about himself. He grinned widely.

"That's great!" Kazuma was going to hug him, but the thought was a little weird at the moment. Perhaps after they knew each other a little more would he be okay with it. "Did you want me to share the news at the diner, or do you wanna do it yourself later?"

"I think I'll do it! Don't worry too much, I'll join you guys in a bit. I want to sit around in silence just in case anything else comes back."

"Alright," responded Kazuma. He turned to head down to the diner where he was sure the others were beginning to gather. He jogged over to the elevator, and rode down to the ground floor. Passing through the lobby, he once again found himself pinned to the ground.

"Ah, not again! Kazuma, you really need to stop getting in my way!"

"Misaki...can't breathe...get off!"

A burst of air filled his lungs as the daredevil got off of him. Kazuma panted, staggering back to his feet. This time around, Misaki couldn't help but laugh a little. He shot a piercing glare in her direction as he brushed himself off. Patting himself down, he checked for any possible injuries other than bruising. Nothing, he was fine.

"Sorry 'bout that." Misaki's voice was laced with gentle laughter.

"Can't you just take the elevator like a normal person?"

"That would defeat the very purpose of my talent! No can do, writer boy!"

"Ah, I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me that. That comes quite close to the other writer from the school, y'know, the really self-degrading one that only writes cheesy romances?"

"No idea who that is!"

"Lord only knows what she'd be saying right now if she'd heard that."

With a soft sigh, Kazuma turned to leave and wound up with a companion accompanying him to the diner meeting. Pushing open the doors, a burst of wind blew his hair back. Geez, suddenly he kind of wished one of his classmates was a meteorologist so they would've known about any sudden weather changes like this.

"Sure is windy today," came Misaki's comment on the matter.

The two exited the building and entered the windy streets of the desolate city. It was rather bright out, the sun illuminating the place with it's warm rays of light. Despite it being warm, those winds brought in a bit of chill every time they blew through. He trudged north from the apartment complex towards the Divine Diner.

It didn't take long before they arrived, the flickering sign of the eatery looming over them. Through the windows of the establishment, they could see that a good percentage of the others had arrived. It was now time to discuss what could possibly be done about their situation. He approached the entrance, reaching to push open the door when suddenly it was already wide open. Kimiko's smiling face greeted him.

"Good morning, Minami-san!"

"Ah, you're going to continue using formalities? I guess that won't change no matter how many times I ask. Anyway, good morning."

"And good morning to you too, Rin-san!"

He didn't stay long enough to hear the exchanging of greetings, he scanned the diner to see how many of the others were present. There were those that follow: Kazuma, Misaki, Kimiko, Mamoru, Emiko, Ami, Israfel, Kaede, Rikiya and Midoriko.

"Ah, I thought the others would show up."

"Perhaps they will. It'd be in our best interests to give them time," responded Israfel from a booth close to the entrance.

"Indeed, it'd be unwise to not give them any time at all to show up." Emiko didn't raise her head from the steaming cup of tea she was nursing. Kazuma just sighed. It seemed they all mutually agreed that they should give the others time. However, that monochrome bear had given them an ominous task and he wasn't sure if they should waste any time. For all they knew, Monokuma could execute them on the spot.

"No."

"Hm?" Kazuma's flat out denial piqued everyone's curiosity.

"We can't wait. This is a topic that needs addressing now, the others can catch when and if they show up."

"Hold on, why aren't you giving the others time to show up?" Ami questioned.

"I write horror novels where death is the main centerpiece. I should know better than anyone that there are consequences in waiting around."

"Alas, it's not as if we can do much. As you've already noticed, we're walled in and aren't even allowed access to the rest of the city." The statement was rather blunt, but Kazuma had to admit that Israfel had a point.

"I believe this is quite the crossroads we've found ourselves at." Mamoru joined in. "On one hand, this is definitely a topic worth covering. On the other, the situation is rather clear. Would we be wasting this time going over what's already laid out perfectly for us?"

Kazuma bit his lip. He really, really hated to admit that this was rather pointless. There had to be some hope of getting out of this mess, right? There just has to be some way that they can all get out of this city and get back to their normal lives!

"Don't say this, guys! There has to be something we can find that will allow us to escape this black hole of despair!" Kazuma said.

Wait, huh? He had never opened his mouth. He glanced up to find Rikiya grinning at him, everyone else reacting in much the same way aside from Mamoru. It seems the one who is unable to see had reached the conclusion that Rikiya was speaking before everyone else. Kazuma wasn't sure how he felt about that. He also wasn't sure how he felt about the mimic being able to apparently read his thoughts.

"Er, I'd appreciate it if you'd not do that."

"Sorry. Just seemed like something you'd want to say right now."

"That's kinda why I don't want you to do that, that was rather creepy."

"The horror novelist finds that creepy?" Misaki was holding back her amusement.

Kazuma simply sighed and walked off towards the back where the two silent ones sat. Kaede was just being shy, and it seemed that Midoriko was more intent on taking notes of what was happening than actually contributing to the conversation. He didn't try engaging either of them, Midoriko just looked so busy and he could tell that Kaede was rather uncomfortable. He instead just leaned against the counter, looking at the front where everyone else was.

"So, what shall we do then? I'd rather this meeting not be meaningless if possible."

"Let's put in place a new mission then. Instead of going out and confirming that we're trapped here, let's get used to living here. Perhaps something will come up?"

Everyone seemed to agree on Emiko's suggestion, and Kazuma decided that this would be a good route to go. For now. He took a seat at a table as Israfel and Kimiko started to make breakfast. They really did have to get used to living here. He wasn't looking forward to this.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(AN:) Wow, I hate writer's block. It hit right as I started to write this part. Wish I hadn't taken over a month to update, but I really had no ideas as to what I could do. Not sure whether or not I want next chapter to be Streets of Despair II or the first two Free Time Events. Two things are certain, you all definitely wanted 17 (or Katashi now) to have a free time event. Now I've just got to decide who the other three getting FTEs this chapter are. The other is that I've officially decided who our first victim and first culprit will be! Upupupu~**_


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